Behind The White Coat - Real Talk For Physician Spouses
Being married to medicine comes with challenges—long hours, relocations, and feeling like you’re navigating it all alone. That’s where this podcast comes in.
I’m sharing the things I wish someone had told me—how to survive medical training, juggle parenting, manage finances, and actually build a life you love. We’ll cover everything from making friends in a new city to understanding insurance, finding childcare, and staying connected as a couple.
Some episodes will be just me, sharing real stories and lessons learned. Other times, I’ll bring on expert guests—financial advisors, physician spouses, and those who’ve been through it all—to offer practical advice.
Most of all, this is a place for community. A space where you can feel understood, supported, and even laugh along the way. Because being married to medicine doesn’t mean doing it alone.
So grab a coffee (or wine!), and let’s talk about the real side of life Behind The White Coat.
Behind The White Coat - Real Talk For Physician Spouses
#16| Women's Health After 40: Navigating Hormones and Metabolic Health
Julie Derr shares her expertise on supporting midlife women with metabolic health, longevity, and hormone optimization. Through her personal journey with hormonal challenges and extensive professional training, Julie has developed specialized programs that address the unique health needs women face as they age.
• Finding reliable health information amid conflicting advice requires becoming your own health advocate
• Most women benefit from five foundational supplements: a quality multivitamin, omega-3s, magnesium, probiotics, and vitamin D
• Different forms of magnesium serve different purposes - glycinate for sleep, citrate for constipation
• Hip fractures are devastating with up to one-third of women dying within a year after fracture
• Weight-bearing exercise, not just cardio, is essential for maintaining bone density
• Busy moms should prioritize 30 minutes of daily exercise and meal prep proteins and vegetables
• Children model their parents' health behaviors, making your self-care an example for them
• Virtual health coaching and personalized testing can help women nationwide optimize their hormones
To learn more about Julie's programs or schedule a free discovery call, visit juliederrwellness.com or follow her on Instagram for daily health tips.
Hello and welcome back to Behind the White Coat. So excited to have you guys here for today's episode. I've got a special guest for you, my friend Julie Durr, who is a mom of four adult kids. Her husband is an orthopedic surgeon, but she is an expert on women's health and supports midlife women in improving metabolic health, longevity and hormone optimization. She's a certified integrative health practitioner as well as a licensed physical therapist and athletic trainer. She's passionate about helping clients discover the root cause of many of their symptoms so they can thrive well beyond 40. Julie, thank you so much for being here today.
Speaker 2:I am so honored to be here, Amanda. I appreciate you asking me and I'm happy to see you kind of in person.
Speaker 1:I know it's been so long and Julie and I were just talking before we hit record how long we have actually known each other and we met through our kids at elementary school and it's probably been 15 years that we've known each other and I have always looked up to you with how you are always so focused on health and you just put that first. And there were many times up and down, up and down, that I didn't, and you motivated me even back then, julie. Well, thank you, I appreciate that this year I will be 49. So I feel like I could have you on multiple different episodes of the podcast and we would not ever run out of topics to discuss. So tell us and our listeners a little bit just about yourself, how you got interested in health and wellness and then, obviously, your focus on health after 40.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So my journey with health goes way back, I mean from a very early age. I always was interested in health. My dad was a veterinarian and I knew early on I did not want to do that, but I knew I wanted to do something. And then he had some health struggles. So I saw that firsthand growing up and it just intrigued me. So, ironically, I went to college thinking I was going to be an orthopedic surgeon. Little did I know that I would marry an orthopedic surgeon and not become one. So I got a degree in physical therapy and really I mean just from that point on, kind of just kept transitioning and getting more advanced training and then, as I was going through my own kind of health struggles which I think a lot of people in this space, especially health coaches, really kind of went through their own struggle and then use that to kind of be the impetus for what they're doing.
Speaker 2:So I had four kids in five years, went through that hormonal rollercoaster, got diagnosed with a thyroid condition and really I thought I was trying to do everything right. So in my 30s and 40s I was eating what I thought was healthy, I was exercising. I was doing to do everything right. So in my 30s and 40s, you know, I was eating what I thought was healthy, it was exercising, I was doing all the things and honestly, I didn't really think about menopause or hormones.
Speaker 2:And then, honestly, when I was about your age around 49, something happened. I was like what is going on? And I was inquisitive. I was asking questions. I was asking questions actually, of my doctors and not really getting good answers. So I just started doing more deep dives and kind of went through this whole revolution of hormone education and kind of implementing some things on myself. And then, really a couple of years ago, I decided to create a program really focusing on midlife women, because I felt like they were just so underserved and eventually that's the goal right that we all become midlife women. I mean, you don't really think about it when you're in your 20s and 30s, but eventually, if you're fortunate enough to live that long, then you will become a midlife woman and things change. So that kind of is just you know, a circle of how it all started and kind of where I am now.
Speaker 1:I love that and I am definitely at the stage where I am like what the heck is happening. My husband is like what is going on with you and trying to get to the bottom of it and figure stuff out, because I feel like you have such a wealth of knowledge and for our listeners, even if you guys aren't in your 40s, you aren't in your 50s I feel like Julie has so much knowledge to share about health, wellness, diet, longevity and I think sometimes for myself personally, even though now it's a big focus, I think I should have started a little bit earlier into this wellness, health, longevity journey.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and even if you did start earlier because I felt like I did I was doing a lot of these things in my 20s and 30s and early 40s. But that menopausal transition really hits and there's so many things that you could be doing or could not be doing in your 20s and 30s that are gonna directly impact how you're living doing in your 20s and 30s that are going to directly impact how you're living your life as a 50 and 60 year old.
Speaker 1:And the things that were working in your 20s and 30s aren't working now. Right, and I think sometimes it kind of is a slap in the face of not only what the heck is going on, but okay, now what I need to do and I need I personally need help with that, and so what is out there right now, I feel like, is very confusing. You hear a lot of different opinions, a lot of different studies of what you should be doing, what you should be eating. Exercise in zone two, don't exercise in zone two. Red meat's bad for you, red meat's not. And so where would you advise someone to at least get started, so that, one, it's not overwhelming, but two, it is a good place to start and kind of build on to get into these habits.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think a lot of women look to their doctor, which there's nothing wrong with that. We were both married to doctors, right? We both know the training that they have and the time that they have. So, unfortunately, I would say that's probably not the best place to look, just because of the education and the time constraints that they have. Finding a trusted partner that really understands all these things is difficult. That's part of the reason I created my program, because I felt like there was just so much misinformation. And even me as you know someone that's been in the health field for 35 years I see things and I go. What's true?
Speaker 2:I actually just finished a 10-week deep dive certification and kind of education with another PhD exercise physiologist who really was sharing the research, because, you know, research is kind of cherry picked, like you see something on Instagram and they're like like you said, don't do zone two, don't, don't fast. And then you see somebody else saying the other things. Finding a good nutritionist or health coach that's really well-rounded is going to be helpful. Also, finding friends that maybe know someone, because obviously word of mouth is really, really helpful too and then doing some of your own research. I think you have to be your own best advocate and not expect other people or other coaches or resources or things like that to give you all the information. You have to be your own advocate, because if you're not, you're going to just fall into that like I'm going to go on Instagram and follow somebody and listen to everything they say, because that's not always the best way to follow things either.
Speaker 1:And it's probably not a one-size-fits-all either. So everybody's kind of got their different journey, their different health issues, different goals. So not only finding their own avenue, but what fits their needs, their lifestyle as well. So, as far as for me, supplements or cleanses I read about all of these and probably a little TMI, but cleanses scare me a little bit as far as oh, my goodness, what is this going to look like if I start this? So what are your thoughts on supplements, cleanses and potential brands people can look at or websites for them to get some knowledgeable information?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I used to in my 20s and 30s used to think but eat healthy and exercise, I've got it covered. The reality is our food supply is so nutrient deficient and even if you're eating a whole food diet which hopefully you are, hopefully your listeners are still you're not getting everything. And I'm a huge proponent of foundational supplements and then targeted supplements based on what you need. Not everyone needs the same thing, but I have kind of like a five stack foundational supplements that I think most women should be using, whether they're midlife or even younger. I mean, those are usually like a good multi that has things like B vitamins and zinc, some minerals, because minerals are also kind of like spark plugs of life. They operate every function at the cellular level. So many women are deficient in minerals and you don't really think about it, but you get those from fruits and vegetables and also you can get them from some animal-based sources too, but so a good mal multi and omega-3. So omega-3, omega-6, those are fatty acids. You have a need for essential fatty acids. Most people unless you're eating like fish every other day are way deficient in omega-3. So I am a big proponent of omega-3. Magnesium, which most women know now. Magnesium is a really, really important mineral and it comes in different forms, right. So magnesium, glycinate or citrate or carbonate or oxide they all have different functions but, like a well-absorbed magnesium, a probiotic is really, really essential for a lot of people, just for the gut health, is really really essential for a lot of people, just for the gut health. But I kind of rotate probiotics and I do a lot of gut testing too, so that just depends on what symptoms people are having. But a good supplement that's helping your microbiome is huge. And then vitamin D, which is fat soluble supplement you need to test, but most people are deficient in vitamin D. So those are kind of my five general ones that I generally recommend and then, based on gut function testing and metabolic testing and other things, then I recommend other things, but those are kind of five standard ones.
Speaker 2:As far as companies, if you have access to Fullscript, are you familiar with Fullscript? I'm not, so Fullscript is kind of like a warehouse of nutraceuticals high-grade nutraceuticals that have a lot of different companies that source and sell there. So anyone that has access to Fullscript and I have a kind of a Fullscript link that I send people that you can get access to lots of different things. I also am a big proponent of Equal Life as a company. I did training with Dr Cabral that's his company, and they're third-party tested supplements that really have been shown to be beneficial. So I think the days of like you don't need any supplements are kind of over. Most women need something, yeah, and then testing can be huge to kind of pinpoint your own unique needs.
Speaker 1:Now, when you're talking about those companies and if I have access to them, can anybody have access or it's got to be through you or somebody that is trained that then connect you.
Speaker 2:It has to usually be through a practitioner. If you're local, Danny Williamson has a store, Wild and Well, which is an amazing store. She has most of those supplements that you can get through Fullscript. That's a great place if you're local. I'm sure your listeners aren't all just in Middle Tennessee but yeah, finding a place like that, I wouldn't recommend honestly going to the vitamin shop or something like that. There are other, better sources, I think. But if that's all you have then it's better than nothing.
Speaker 1:I do have a question for you. You had mentioned magnesium and I do take magnesium. If you asked me which type of magnesium, I have no idea. I know that you were just naming all the different kinds, but I do take it at night to help with sleep. Is that something that all the magnesiums do? Do you recommend taking it at night or is it specific, depending on how much you take or which kind you?
Speaker 2:take. I do recommend taking it at night. It's a calming mineral, so not that you can't take it during the day, but most people don't want to be super chilled out during the day. They have things to do. However, my women that are really under a lot of stress and have a lot of anxiety sometimes I'll have them take their magnesium earlier just to kind of calm their nervous system. But generally I usually recommend a magnesium glycinate or malate. Those are highly absorbable. Citrate or oxide are going to be really good for constipation, which I find so many women struggle with. This is a question I ask all of my clients how often do you have a bowel movement? And most of them are like, oh, every other day or three times a week, and that's the way it's always been. But that is not optimal. So I talk about all the things with the ladies that I work with, but it's an important part of the puzzle, yeah.
Speaker 1:I think you have to. Do you solely work with women, or have you ever worked with men?
Speaker 2:I have worked with men and that has kind of changed over the years. A lot of times I work with men the spouse of maybe one of my women clients Occasionally men reach out to me. I prefer to work with women just because I feel like I can better serve them, and I work in the weight loss and fat loss space too. So a lot of men are trying to lose weight and I will occasionally work with a man, but generally now it's usually women.
Speaker 1:So I know that you offer so many different kinds of programs, educational platforms, and I love that because I feel like things like we said, that's out there is constantly changing. Our bodies are constantly changing, and so, with your different programs or consultations, or if it's one-on-one group setting, what do these different programs look like? And if someone was like, hey, I'm interested in working with you, julie, but where do I start? What does that look like?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's evolved too. So I really, as a physical therapist, my background was really in athletic performance and preventative kind of medicine and fitness, but then that's evolved. So I do a lot in the fat loss space and the reality is I rarely meet a woman that doesn't want to lose a little bit of weight, and especially women, as they're kind of transitioning from their thirties into their forties and beyond, when hormones really start changing. So I have a website that you can go to and actually schedule a call with me to kind of pinpoint what you want to do. But then I also have my hormone program, which is a very specific program where I include a lot of testing, some of those things that I mentioned earlier. So a lot of individual testing.
Speaker 2:I do Zoom calls twice a month with this group and really take some deep dives and Q&As and, like your podcast, I have special guests on there that are kind of talking on specific subjects. I do a lot of education on hormone replacement because I feel like there's so much confusion and so much misinformation. And you know I remember the study that came out in 2002. I remember because it was in the middle of me having children and I just remember the fear around that, and that was in my head too when I was in my thirties and forties. Like hormones are bad, right, but the reality is your hormones are essential and you don't lose them, whether it be in your late forties and honestly, I work with women in their thirties sometimes that their hormones are changing.
Speaker 2:So that program is really kind of a very, very educational founded program and then I do a lot of testing and things like that and support and then I refer I don't prescribe as a PT and an integrative health coach I can't prescribe. So I refer to a lot of vetted HRT providers and doctors that I've partnered with all over the country, because my clients with all over the country, because my clients are all over the country from Puerto Rico to the East Coast, to the West Coast, not just in the national Okay, because that was gonna be my next question as far as if they have to be local, especially if you're doing like blood work or various things like that, so you can help no matter where they're located.
Speaker 2:And everything is virtual now, yes, blood work and specific tests. I like to use the Dutch test and the GI map and some other functional tests. They're all at-home tests that you can do, and then I get results and basically create a plan for you and if they want to work with you, is that consultation call free?
Speaker 1:Do you charge for that initial?
Speaker 2:call. No, it's free. My consultation call is free.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay. And then as far as the cost for programs versus testing, those are two different costs, correct?
Speaker 2:Yeah, my program, so my fat loss program, is a six-week program. That's the most economical and I really count that as my foundational program because I think there's a lot of confusion too about how to eat and how to exercise and you know, so many women are in that mantra of I've got to burn calories, I got to burn, burn, burn instead of really fueling your body, building muscles, supporting your metabolism and all the things that you need for longevity and, you know, living an optimal life, kind of beyond 40. So that's a really foundational program. But I have so much success with clients going through that and really transforming their body, changing body composition and really just getting more comfortable and energized and feel like, okay, I have some success here, rather than just the mantra I've got to cut calories and burn calories and burn calories and all those things. So that's one thing. And then my program actually includes testing. So I have different options for testing versus non-testing, but there are several options.
Speaker 1:I know I still have so much to learn and that'll be another discussion for us later, but I am definitely in that group. That was cardio, cardio, cardio. How do I burn these? Cut calories as opposed to weight training as I have aged, and adding in more protein. So it's definitely been a journey and I still have so much to learn, so we will have to schedule a call. I still have so much to learn, so we will have to schedule a call.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, absolutely. And the thing is, as a PT and I saw this all the time and actually I see this with my husband, who's an orthopedic surgeon fractured hips in women, usually beyond 50. But it's such a devastating problem. Women underestimate it, but up to one third of women that sustain a hip fracture die within the first year of that hip fracture. And what you're doing in your 20s, 30s, 40s has a huge impact. If you are not building bone in those pivotal years, the likelihood that you're going to have a hip fracture is very high and that you will never either regain your function or that you potentially won't live past a year. So I see it all the time.
Speaker 2:I took care of so many women that had fractured hips and when my husband was on call, that was a normal hip fracture, hip fracture, hip fracture all day, every day. So it's a big deal and something that's not really talked about a lot, but something I'm really passionate about, and especially DEXA scans. I don't know if you've had one. I didn't have one until I was about 15. Under general medical guidelines, most women don't get them until they're 65. And by that point your bone density can be so low and it's so hard to reverse at that point. If you catch it early or if you're doing those things early, it has a huge impact. So I'm very passionate about that because it's just not talked about enough and I think women don't really understand the ramifications.
Speaker 1:Do you know, does insurance cover those, or is that usually out of pocket?
Speaker 2:You know, I've heard If you're younger and request it. But you know, if you have some family history, if you're like a slight frame and you know a white woman with a slight frame, those women tend to have more issues. Asian descent women also have more issues, but across the board, because of the chemicals we're exposed to, because of the nutrient deficiencies, the lack of exercise, I see women who are not even yet 50, who are being diagnosed with osteoporosis. And it sounds like just a word, but it's really. It's true. We've been runners. I was a runner for a long time and I still am.
Speaker 1:As you know, we're runners.
Speaker 2:I was a runner for a long time and I still am, as you know, passion. People think, oh, if I'm running, that's going to build my bone. No, it doesn't. Actually, it helps degrade bone a little bit hard.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, so a lot of our listeners have younger kids and I wanted to see if you have tips for, as a mom, I feel like a lot of times our needs come last, especially our health, our diet. I know I was usually finishing PB&J crusts and goldfish on a plate when my kids were young or miss a meal, and so I wanted to ask tips on if your kids are young. You're in that season of life of still putting yourself and health first, but also creating good, healthy habits for your kids as well.
Speaker 2:Well, I'd say, first and foremost, you are their role model, right? Whatever you're doing, they're watching. Whether you know it or not, they're definitely watching. Prioritizing yourself is hard, right. It's easy to say that, but believe me, when I was in the throes of you know, I had. I had my fourth one when my oldest just turned five. So I was in a blur for a long time. But I think a few things is prioritizing 30 minutes of time where you are devoting that to exercise, and that was always my time and my husband always knew it. For me it was earlier in the morning, before he left, where he knew he was in charge, and I get that.
Speaker 2:Not every woman has that luxury, whether it's 30 minutes in the morning or exercising with your kids. I have clients who are younger who exercise, and their kids are. You know it's different if you have a six month old and they need your attention, but they like to be part of it too. You know they can't do everything you can do, but them seeing you exercise is huge. So finding that 30 minutes it doesn't take. You don't have to go to the gym and spend hours. You can do things at home. I have always exercised at home. I've had gym memberships on and off, but with a few dumbbells, maybe a video of my six-week program, it's all. You can do it from the luxury of your home press play and you get a video. But I think most women can find time to exercise. So that's, you know, I think a huge part.
Speaker 2:And then, as far as nutrition goes, I was always that person that kind of did the meal prep before the meal prep was the thing and making large batches of proteins. So cook some whatever the proteins you like, whether it's chicken, ground beef, even some steak just have two or three days worth of that and making some vegetables. Having all those things in your house is going to be huge and for me personally, I was never one of those people that made fancy recipes. I don't think you need to. My kids always got a protein, a vegetable, a fruit. You know they got.
Speaker 2:And of course, you all have kids that are different, right? Some kids love this, some kids hate this. So that's how I always fed my kids. I gave them a protein. Some of them like this vegetable, not like that vegetable. I made it very kind of a la carte, but I think meal prepping, planning ahead, having the food in your house is huge. And then, yes, I think it's important to eat as a family. For us we always ate dinner as a family. I will say breakfast and lunch were a little chaotic and, as a mom, I think feeding yourself so that you're not tempted to eat the goldfish and all those other things, but getting some good protein, fiber, all those things are going to fill you up so you're not tempted to eat those things is important. But I know finding the time is a little more difficult.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I think those are great tips and for those of you that don't follow Julie on Instagram, she has a huge following. You've got 50, some thousand followers but she gives really great tips, nuggets, advice in bite-sized chunks that I feel like for somebody like me that is not educated on the health side of things. I think it's easy to understand. I think it's easy to follow. So I highly recommend you guys follow her, if you aren't, and Julie if they want to reach out to you, to either ask questions, set up a consultation or get enrolled in your programs testing what's the best way for them to do that?
Speaker 2:Yes, so I get a lot of messages on Instagram every day. I get questions, you know, and it just validates that there's so much confusion. So you can message me on Instagram. You also can go to my website, juliedarewellnesscom and then schedule a discovery call. The links on there are active.
Speaker 2:They take you to some of my programs my six-week programs, my six week program, my, my fat loss program. My foundational program is usually I usually do a new group at least once a month, so I have one coming up this Monday and then my hormone program is a little more in depth. That's four months and, honestly, many of the women that are in that program have been in there for almost two years. Because they can, just they want to be a part of the Zoom calls and the educational components and the message. You know they can message me anytime they want inside my portal, but I would say a discovery call so I can kind of help you pinpoint. I think this would be a good option for you or just kind of walk you through next steps and what would be best for you.
Speaker 1:Okay, perfect. Well, thank you for being here and for our listeners. I hope you share this with others that are needing some support. They are on a health journey or somebody that is dealing with hormone issues. Please share this with them, subscribe or like it if it is something that potentially helped you along your journey. And then don't forget to reach out to Julie. She is a wealth of knowledge and, julie, thank you for being here, and I definitely am going to have to have you back, because I still have a million questions that I want to ask you.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. It was my honor Great seeing you.
Speaker 1:Yes, you too, and for the listeners. Thanks so much and until next time. That's a wrap on this episode of Behind the White Coat. I hope today's conversation left you feeling more understood and supported, and if you enjoyed this episode, I would love for you to subscribe, leave a review or share it with another physician spouse. Your support helps more of us to connect. Keep in mind, this podcast is for you, so let's keep this conversation going. Dm me on Instagram at Amanda Barron Realtor, with your thoughts, topic ideas, questions or even guest suggestions. I would really love to hear from you. Thanks for spending part of your day with me and remember you are never in this alone. See you next time.